1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to posture sensing and monitoring systems, and more specifically to a slouching monitoring and alerting system that provides an integrated system for collecting and analyzing data related to a person's posture.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is important for a person to maintain the correct posture throughout the day, regardless of the type of activity he/she is engaged in, such as sitting, walking, working, studying, exercising, or cooking. Certain disorders of the spine are manifested by abnormal postures. Lordosis refers to an inward, concave curvature of the spine, so that the shoulders arch posteriorly and the low back may project forward. Kyphosis refers to a convex curvature of the spine, so that the shoulders arch anteriorly and the low back may project rearward, giving the impression that the person is slouching forward. With normal posture, the shoulders and the low back are substantially straight up and down. Although not amounting to a disease, some persons adopt bad postural habits, either through laziness or inattention, adopting a lordotic slouch or a kyphotic slouch or postural position. When these habits are persistent or maintained over an extended period of time, the back becomes weak and more serious health issues may arise.
Excessive convex curvature of the spine, also known as hyperkyphosis, can result from various degenerative diseases, such as arthritis. Proper posture can lead to stronger neck, shoulder, and back muscles, while poor posture can lead to a variety of different health issues involving the neck and shoulders, as well as the upper back and lower back. The stronger a person's neck, shoulder, and back muscles the more likely these muscles can better provide support for a person. However, poor posture can translate to a weak neck, shoulder, and back muscles, as well as to chronic back pain, back injuries, and a limited range of motion and limited physical activity.
Slouching, for example, can typically lead to poor posture, and as mentioned above, may lead to health issues relating to a person's neck, shoulders, and/or back. Accordingly, to increase a likelihood of reducing such injuries a person must either refrain from slouching or correct his/her posture early in life. Currently, various devices created to correct slouching can unnecessarily limit a person's range of motion. Moreover, such devices also do not relay information to the person relating how often he/she slouches, the degree to which he/she slouches, or the duration of the slouch so that they can take appropriate corrective action to improve their posture.
Thus, a slouching monitoring and alerting system addressing the aforementioned problems is desired.